


Insight

by Bennet_Doyeni



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, D&D!AU, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-10-26 23:31:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10797042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bennet_Doyeni/pseuds/Bennet_Doyeni
Summary: Now out of college, Marinette has joined a D&D campaign with her best friend Alya as the DM.A Cleric, A Rogue, A Bard, and A Wizard are granted magic items of extreme power and told they must defend their city.





	1. Proving Grounds

**Author's Note:**

> Check out the #insight tag over at Alyas-DM-Blog.tumblr.com for previews of Alya's homebrewed items, Character Sheets, and more Behind the Scenes content.

 

There was a chill in the air, and the trees that lined the Paris boulevards were beginning their transformations into stationary fireworks. Marinette rushed down the steps, it was finally, finally game night, and she’d left her character sheet at home. Apparently scheduling two young professionals with day jobs, two night owls with late night gigs and midnight deadlines, and Chloé, whatever it was she did, was a bit tricky; they hadn’t met for a session since their inaugural session in August, almost two months ago.  It was about time.

It had been Alya’s idea, of course. She’d been in a long running campaign with one of her cousins, and she’d recruited Nino and Marinette to give her a chance to test out her own DMing acumen. Nino had recruited Adrien, with little protest from Marinette, and Adrien had recruited Chloé, to considerably more protest, but four was a pretty ideal number, and Chloé had mellowed out a bit in College, at least enough to be tolerable. The first session had hooked all of them, but fall had come and with it the fall fashion season, which meant that Marinette and Adrien had been swamped for what felt like forever. But now, on this glorious October day, a miraculous window had opened up in everyone’s schedule, and Marinette wasn’t going to mess it up by being even a minute late.

 

At 5 precisely, Marinette found herself at Alya’s apartment, red faced and panting from taking the stairs three at a time, but on time. She had barely knocked when Alya practically dragged her into the apartment, sitting her down at the table, next to Adrien and across from Chloé. Marinette quickly unpacked her bag, setting up her dice (Red with Black, she did have an aesthetic to maintain.)

 

“Alright, now that we’re all here, let’s jump right in. When we last met, the four of you had met for the first time, each of you following dreams that had led you to a large fountain in the center of Erathia. Larya,” Alya looked at Marinette as she addressed her character. “You dreamed of your Goddess, Avandra, she told you to come to receive her blessing at the fountain. Versoft,” This was Nino. “You dreamed of Erathia Burning in your dream you were chased by a wall of flame that none of your magics could touch, these walls closed behind you leading you to this fountain, in the fountain you saw a light, a light you’ve seen once before. Polux,” Adrien. “You saw a trail of blood, which you followed to the base of this fountain, behind which you saw a colossal red dragon, bleeding from an uncountable number of wounds, lying on a pile of gold unlike any treasure horde you’ve ever seen. Chloé” Alya rolled her eyes a little bit as she turned to the last player. “You saw Lady Wivi, the usurper who ruined your house and you chased her intent on vengeance. Your chase led you to this fountain where you found Lady Wivi, dead in the water.”

 

“Serves her right.” Chloé said, turning up her nose just a hair.

“Anyways, when you woke up the four of you felt drawn to this fountain. You reached it at about the same time, and when you reached it you felt a strange energy, there was a flash of light and you were all standing at the entrance to a large cave. I think that’s about where we left off.”

“Sounds right to me Alya.” Nino smiled up at Alya

“So, you stand there at the entrance to the cave, the streets and towers of Erathia nowhere to be seen, what do you do?”

 

“How well lit is the cave?” Adrien turns to Alya, “Since, I don’t have darkvision, can I see into the cave at all?”

“The opening here is wide, and the first chamber is well lit, but you can see a number of passages branching off from it, so you might need a light if you plan on going farther in.”

* * *

 

 

Polux pulled a torch out of his pack and lights it, taking confident steps into the entry of the cave. Larya calls out after him “Wait! We should talk about this, instead of. just. running. right.” Oh never mind. Larya gives up as the other two walk past her after the Catsuit clad man.

 

“If we’re going to go rushing into these caves together, can I at least get your names first?”

 

“But of course, I am Polux Blackvein, acrobat extraordinaire, savior of the town of greenthorp, hero to the common man, you can call me single.”

* * *

 

 

Adrien made as much of a mock bow as he could while staying seated, red to the tips of his ears. Nino stepped in, much to Adrien’s relief, “I am the Great Wizard Versoft, I am a member of the Erathian academy and a senior fellow at the library of Port Vale.” Nino’s wizard voice was essentially just him putting on his best 7th grade Chloé impression, self-important and just a little bit louder than it needed to be. Chloé didn’t seem to notice.

 

“But of course you know me already, Lady duChamp,” Chloé said, really getting into her role, “I’m -

* * *

 

 

“The Lady Chloé Victor, rightful duchess of Brightbridge.” Larya’s eyes widened, that was a name that she recognized, House Victor had fallen out of favor rather sharply recently, something to do with Lady Wivi’s rise to power. “Ah, of course. I am the Lady Larya duChamp, servant to Avandra. I know not what brings us together here, but it would seem my lady had something to do with it.”

“Well could you tell her to knock it off? Some of us have better things to do than tramp through some musty cave.” Lady Chloé seemed hopeful that this could be done with quickly.

“This path may be one of her devising,” Larya said, “So we may as well get on with it.”

“Fine” Chloé huffed and the four of them walked down the first tunnel on the left, Chat leading the way with the torch. As they walked the passage narrowed to the point where all of them but Versoft, a halfing, had to crouch to fit. Finally, the tunnel ended into a massive cavern.

* * *

 

 

“Adrien, as you cross the threshold into the cavern, can I get a perception check?”

 

“Yeah, hold on” Adrien grabbed his d20, black glitter with glo-in-the-dark numbering (Aesthetic is important), “16 plus, uh, 3 is 19.”

 

“That’ll do. As you step into this massive space a strong gust of wind blows out your torch, you glance up and see as a wave of black light, sort of like your dice spreads across the ceiling of this room. And just like that, the light is gone. Versoft, you step into the room and a wave of iridecent blue light does the same thing. Chloé you enter the room and your light is significantly brighter, yellow, like sunlight. Bringing up the rear, Larya, you enter the room and a wave of red light almost blinds the four of you. This light isn’t harsh though, it feels... friendly, like a,-” Alya catches herself.

* * *

 

 As she stepped into the wide cavern she could hear a voice along with the light, and, as the last of the red light fades at the far end of the cavern she could see a small hunched figure there.

 

“WELCOME, HEROES OF DORIAND” The voice is deep and old, and followed by a long coughing fit.

* * *

 

 

Alya doubled over the DM screen, and when she stopped coughing she took a long sip of her tea. “Ok, so that was a bit ambitious for a voice. But you hear that and then the voice comes again and says ‘Step forward chosen of the gods’ what do you do?”

“I step forward, how big did you say the cavern was?” Chloé is serious now, leaning in.

“It’s dark again, so you can’t tell, but you would guess its about 70-80 feet from end to end.”

“Ok then I cast light on my quill and hold it in front of me, and I say ‘What god are you hanging out it this musty old cave and bringing us here so unceremoniously?’ Chloé’s character voice is haughty but works, Marinette thinks.

“‘Quiet child, do something with grace for once in your life. I am no god, only a servant. Now, who will step forward?’ In the light from Chloé’s spell you can see that the hunched figure is closer than you thought, it’s just a smaller person, a gnome to be precise, and an old one at that. And you can see in front of him a low stone dias, octagonal with a raised portion in the center. Are any of you going to step forward?”

“Fine, Chloé will be quiet and just stand there, a little in front of everyone, holding the light up.”

“Good, you learn quickly. And the rest of you? Will you accept the task before you?”

“Versoft will step forward just a little and hold on to his staff.”

“Yeah, and Polux will step forward too, if the brat will,” Adrien gave Chloé a brotherly bump on the shoulder and got an indignant ‘hey’ in response.

* * *

 

 

Larya stepped forward last, much more hesitant than the others. Already in the service of one god, a god she felt she knew, she was uneager to interfere with that relationship. She sent up a prayer and felt for the path. The response was certainty. These people were her companions now. The path lay ahead.

The old voice came again, “Very well, then let the test begin.”

* * *

 

 

“And with that you see four figures appear in front of you, one directly in front of each of you. In front of you, Nino, is a tall, blond woman, elvish looking, she is gorgeous in a long, blue and purple court robe. Chloé, in front of you is a short, dark woman clad in scale mail that rings like wind chimes as she moves. Marinette, you see a man in tight fitting leather armor, bright red. In his hands is a lute that looks like it was made from an enormous insect’s shell. Adrien, in front of you is a man in a black breastplate, wielding a wicked looking spear. I would like you all to roll for initiative.”

* * *

 

Having been the most suspicious, Larya unholstered the whip that she carried and lashed  the red leather clad figure in front of her. The whip connected sharply and a long tear appeared in the armor, stretching from left collarbone to the right side of the waist, blood a darker red on the red of the armor.

 

The others were too surprised to act before the apparitions attack. The red man went first, strumming the lute and narrowing his eyes at Larya, he began to sing:

_“The Miraculous you’ll never see_

_True heroes you’ll never be_

_Now FLEE”_

But she was ready, she could see the weakness in the way he favored his left arm, cradling the lute awkwardly, throwing off his rhythm, allowing her to ignore the effects of his magics.

Next the blonde woman stepped back, moving her hands and a bolt of black lightning connects her to Versoft, and he dropped to one knee, dark lightning veins spreading down his arms. He looked in bad shape. Larya gasped, but things were moving too quickly, there was nothing she could do.

The spearman went next, driving towards Polux and piercing his armor in the fleshy part of his stomach, he winced in pain, but managed to summon a smile; a smile that said ‘you’re going to regret that’.

Finally the armored woman stepped up to Chloé and a spray of fire erupted from her hands, catching on Chloé’s robes and melting some of her jewelry. Chloé staggered back, barely conscious patting out the burning patches of robe and flinging half-melted jewelry away from her.

 

Rallying, Polux took his quarterstaff and swung hard and low, trying to sweep the feet of the spearman in front of him. The staff connects and Polux thought he could hear the snapping of a bone, but the warrior was still standing, seemingly unphased by the devastating leg sweep.

 

Versoft stood from his kneel, seemingly pushing back on the black lightning acting as a bridge between him and the woman, and he shouted an incantation of his own, and suddenly he had ball of white lightning, the match and mirror of the dark. He thrust it out of his hands and the bolt traveled up the black lightning, using it as a guide wire straight back to the heart of the woman. It struck her and she evaporated into an orange mist.

 

One down, three to go.

 

Finally, Chloé recovers from trying to save her smouldering clothes enough to retaliate, and she is _mad._ Larya felt the pressure in the room drop as Chloé stormed forward pushing her way in between armored man and woman, and then she screamed. It was a remarkable scream. The mail clad woman evaporated into the same orange mist and even that was scattered across the wall of the cavern. A trickle of blood began to splash the cavern floor from the ears of the spearman, but he held himself up, looking battered.

 

Larya pulled her whip back and prepared to strike again when she saw the spearman, desperate pull back his weapon and aim at Chloé’s burned chest. Damn. Well, she can’t help but help. She darted over to the young noble’s side and laid a hand on her, willing Avandra to lend her aid. She did, and Larya could see the wounds closing up, burns turning into scars turning into fresh, pink skin.

 

She didn’t have time to revel in her God’s power though, because her foe had begun to strum the lute again, a different tune this time:

_“Congratulations Larya, you passed the test_

_Salutations heroes, you’re better than the rest_

_We’re friends now see_

_Please don’t kill me_

_I really, truly promise not to be a pest.”_

_Yeah, no._

 

Larya shrugged the magic off effortlessly, almost laughing at the desperation in the apparition’s voice.

While she was still shaking her head the spearman followed through with his thrust, aiming straight for her heart. With the power of Avandra coursing through her though how could a mere weapon hit, the spear point glanced off the side of a half melted piece of jewelry, a painful blow, but not harmful.

Polux swung his quarterstaff again, connecting solidly with the spearman’s head this time. Another cloud of orange mist, and suddenly there is only one left.

 

It is Versoft who seizes on the opportunity, hurling a small, living flame directly into the chest of the red bard.

* * *

 

 

“So, Nino, how do you want to do this?”

“Really? I got him with a firebolt! Hell yeah, ok, so I want to hit him in the chest and have the cloud-thing be thrown up to the ceiling of the cavern by the updraft from the fire.”

“Ok, sure- Your mote of fire hits his chest and disappears for a second into the wound that Larya made, and then he seems to internally combust, the cloud of orange smoke mingling with a black soot and quickly dispersing into the wide open space of the cavern ceiling. You all are now out of initiative, nice work. Which is, coincidentally, what you hear from the hunched figure by the pedestal, ‘nice work, heroes of Erathia, come forward to receive your prize.’

“Why should we trust you? I almost just died!” Chloé was an excellent RPer, Marinette had to admit, even though she’d originally been a bit nervous about having her in the party.

* * *

 

 

“Why should you indeed? What alternative do you propose? It is a long walk back to Erathia from here, but you could make it before winter if you are strong and fast. No, your only path forward is through the weight of responsibility and power.”

“Versoft, step forward and receive your reward.” The old-ish halfling steps forward hesitantly, favoring one leg. The gnome steps forward too, something blue glinting in the light of Chloé’s spell. The gnome attaches it to his chest and the halfling stands straighter, as though all the pain has gone out of his body, there is another flash of iridescent blue along the roof of the cavern, bright blue light overpowering Chloé’s gold in a flash.

“This brooch will, in time, give you the ability to understand the flow of fate. To discern fact from fiction, to tell what could be from what is, to influence the strings so that what must not come to pass can be avoided. You will need these if you are to save Erathia from the forces that would seek to destroy it.”

The cavern roof fades back to black and Versoft is taller, his robes have a bluer hue. The gnome looks to Chloé,

“Do you trust me now?”

“No.” But she steps forwards anyway. The Gnome takes a golden hair comb off the pedestal and hands it to Chloé, who puts it directly into her hair. The cavern flashes gold, brighter and richer than the hue of Chloé’s spell.

 

“This hairpin will, likewise in time, give you the ability to influence people. To make the rage or regret, to give them courage or cowardice. This too you will need to protect the things that you love.”

The cavern roof fades for the second time and Chloé is radiant, clothing and jewelry restored, a new light shining in her eyes.

* * *

 

 

“I’ll step forwards next” Adrien is on the edge of his seat, his voice quiet and solemn, fitting the nature of this odd ceremony that Alya was creating but sending a grade-school shiver up Marinette’s spine nonetheless.

 

_Cut that out._

 

“The old gnome takes a ring from the raised part of the pedestal, as he slips it onto your finger the cavern flashes black, an opposite effect from the other items. He says ‘this ring will grant you the power of destruction. To destroy powers and hopes, walls and bridges. This is a power and a burden, but it is one you must carry and wield if you are to work the good that you so desire.’ with that the darkness fades and you feel different, healed.”

“I take a step back and look at Larya.”

“The gnome looks too, and he says ‘so, favored of Avandra, last again,I thought fortune favored the bold?’ will you step forward?”

“I will, and I say to him ‘fortune favors the wise and ruins the foolish, bold or no.”

“The gnome laughs a bit, ‘fair enough,’ he retrieves from the pedestal two earrings, red and black. He hand them to you and the cavern flashes with the bright red light again. ‘These grant you the power of creation. Creation of objects and plans, dynasties and hopes, this will be more of a curse than you realize before you are safe again. This power will allow you to bring to fruition the designs of the gods.’ and with that, instead of fading, the light intensifies, brighter and brighter and brighter until you are all blinded, you hear what sounds like a thousand rushing winds. The wind and light fades and you wake up around the fountain that you all dissapeared from. And I think that’s where we’re going to leave off for the night.”

 

A groan went up from all four of them. Nino looked at his watch,

 

“Wow, ok, it is getting late, I’ve got to be at work in a bit.”

Alya hit him playfully on his shoulder, “I thought I asked if you had to work tonight and you said no.”

“Technically the gig doesn’t start till one, so I have to work tomorrow morning. Didn’t lie, technically.” Nino withered a bit under Alya’s glare, but then she grinned and he relaxed.

“Whatever, before you go, you all leveled up, so you’re all level 2 now, and here,” she said, reaching behind her screen and handing them each a piece of paper, “are your miraculouses. They’re homebrewed obviously, so some of them might need some tweaking, but I’m excited to see how you use them.”

 

Marinette looked at her card,

 

 

“Wow, Alya, you’re really spoiling us with these items, aren’t you?”

 

“Oh just, wait Marinette, you’re going to need them before I’m done with you.” Alya wiggled her eyebrows mischievously, sending the familiar ‘oh shit the DM is going to kill us’ thrill down Marinette’s spine.

 

“Why does the promise of better magic items fill me with dread?” Marinette said, chuckling.

 

“Because your friend is going to kill us,” Chloé said, throwing a hand to her forehead dramatically, “you _should_ be scared.”

 

“She’s not wrong,” Alya said, folding up the DM screen and putting it on the bookshelf behind her, “I have big plans for the four of you.”


	2. Catching Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In between sessions the gang finds time to catch up with each other and get some work done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always check out the #insight tag at Alyas-DM-blog.tumblr.com for previews, bonus content, and other Miraculous Ladybug content.

Marinette slept late the next morning, it was Saturday and she didn’t have to go into work that morning. She walked into the office around 10 anyways though, one of the designs that she had been working on calling to her. The office was quiet, Sylvia apparently taking her day off seriously, so Marinette put on some music and got to work. Around 1 she was interrupted by a buzz from her phone:

 

Adrien: Hey 

Marinette: What's up

Adrien: You free today?

 

Marinette's heart raced, despite herself

 

Marinette: Yeah, just finishing up some work, what did you have in mind?

Adrien: Well I was in the neighborhood and I was wondering if you wanted to grab a late lunch, or maybe some coffee, if you've already eaten? 

Adrien: Maybe we could talk D&D?

Marinette: Yeah, that sounds great.

 

She sent him the address of the office,

 

Marinette: Meet me here @1:30?

Adrien: sounds like a plan!

 

Marinette dropped the phone on the drafting table and took a deep breath. She let the excitement run its course, Adrien wanted to catch up and grab coffee. This was normal, right? They were in a D&D group together, they were in the same industry (though the lowest ranking Gabriel designer could probably buy out Coccinelle without breaking a sweat and Adrien was on the damn board of directors), they had plenty in common, they could go for a normal lunch between friends. 

 

Ok, maybe the grade school crush wasn't so past tense. She tried to shift her focus back onto the designs in front of her, but she kept being dragged back by the silky cat's purr of Adrien's Rogue voice. 

 

That's only a little weird. Right? 

 

* * *

 

Adrien walked up in front of the small shop front of Marinette's and smiled, it definitely had her touch. He opened the door and walked in, the building seemed to be quiet, but he could see a light coming from the back. He walked towards it, taking care to go a little louder than natural, so as not to frighten. 

 

She was sitting on a stool, half-finished sketch on the drafting table in front of her. Her hands were on her chin and her eyes were a thousand miles away.

 

Adrien cleared his throat, "Marinette? Did you still want to get lunch?" 

 

She startled a bit, "Oh, Adrien, I didn't hear you come in. Sorry. Yes. Lunch, that is, yes I still want to go to lunch."

 

"I'm glad, I had started looking forward to it." 

 

"oh." Marinette tried, very hard, to find something slightly more articulate to say, but alas.

 

"There's a deli around the corner, they have good vegetarian food." he pauses for a second, "are you still a vegetarian?" 

 

"Yeah. Well, most of the time, I'll make exceptions for special occasions. But vegetarian deli sounds good, uh, let me just pack up a bit." She hurriedly packs away her sketches and slings a small ladybug purse over her shoulder. She beams up at him, toothy grin wide.

  
  


The deli wasn't very far away, and Marinette and Adrien sat on a bench outside to enjoy their sandwiches. They sat in silence a while, sandwiches an excuse for the awkward silence coming from the fact that neither of them had really talked to the other, outside of D&D in, well, a couple of years now. Adrien broke the silence first.

 

"So how is work going? Your shop seems like a lot is happening."

 

"Ha. That's a very polite way of saying the shop looks a mess."

 

"No, I mean-"

 

"It's alright, I know the shop's a mess, It's probably a good thing anyways, it means we're busy. Which is pretty much also how work is going; designing is what I always wanted to do, and I love it, but the business side is a lot of work when it is going well, and even more work when it's going poorly, but I guess that's the price I pay for living my childhood dreams"

 

Adrien felt a small pang of envy, to be able to pursue a passion, to have a clear idea of what your passions were, it must be nice.

 

"That sounds stressful, but I'm still kind of jealous, working at Gabriel is kind of soul-sucking. Like, I'm not ungrateful for what my dad left for me, it's just- I don't know, I didn't have a lot of time as a kid to have my own dreams, I had a path laid out for me, you know?" 

 

"I never thought about that, you were a bit, wrangled as a kid weren't you?" 

 

"I don't think I've had an unscheduled period longer than three days since I was, well, maybe ever." 

 

"Yikes, that sounds not great" 

 

"Yeah, it is what it is. Marcel is- he's Marcel, but he means well." Marinette raised her eyebrows a hair.

 

"Marcel, as in Marcel Proust, the man who, to hear half the fashion rags tell it, is slowly sucking the soul out of the Gabriel brand?" 

 

"He doesn't have the most sparkling personality, that's true, but he is trying, my father and him, they were friends, or as close as my father got to having friends. Marcel just wants to honor his memory."

 

"I'm sorry Adrien, I'm sure Marcel means well, it's just, he's been with Gabriel for how long now? 15 years? 20? In an interview last week he had no idea what Toilé was." 

 

"Yeah, he hasn't invested much in the theory, but he has a handle on the nitty-gritty of running a corporation." 

 

Maybe too much of a handle, Adrien thought.

 

They sat quietly for a while, before Marinette spoke,

 

"So, how about the game last night? That was quite the fight huh?" 

 

"Yeah, I'm super pumped to get to use my new item, it seems pretty versatile." 

 

"Yeah, I don't know about mine, i'll take a hit to AC, but it bumps up my whip's range and damage, so that's pretty sweet." 

 

"The card says tier 1 on it though, so we've probably got to unlock the really cool pieces." 

 

"Yeah, I wonder how high they go, like, what is the max tier do you think?" 

 

* * *

 

Alya is in her favorite spot, next to the window in her regular cafe, looking down over the main part of the shop on the level below, the additional seating area quiet by comparison.  The word document in front of her sits, almost done, but not quite, the blinking cursor mocking her as she struggles to wrap up the story she has been writing. The political scene has become bleaker since she became a politics reporter, when she was young she had felt like there were heroes, people making real change, people caring for people and about process. Now though, well, every hero has their dirt, and Alya had made a career finding that dirt, which made the idea of a spotless hero something that Alya reserved for fiction.

 

Oh well, she still has two hours until deadline. She tabs over to her email, hitting the refresh and watching as a wave of unread messages cascades down her inbox. 

 

Junk. Junk. Deal with that later. Junk. Junk.

 

Her eyes scan down the list of subjects and from addresses, until she hits a subject line that she can't ignore.

 

RE: Hawke

 

Alya clicked. Her eyes widened as the message appeared before them. This was big.

 

* * *

 

Their coffee date/outing/catch-up session/whatever-you're-supposed-to-call-it over Marinette was back in her office, back in the zone, her pen putting the finishing touches on the design that she had been working on earlier when her phone buzzed again. Marinette grabbed the phone eagerly,

 

Alya: Hey, you got a minute?

Marinette: Yeah, just doing a bit of weekend work, what's up?

Alya: I'm looking for advice, but I gotta be a bit vague, you down?

Marinette: Its for a story, isn't it

Alya: Yeah, anyway if you found out that someone in your industry was in the pocket of a certain, politician, and you could expose them, what would you do?

Marinette: Shit. Um, give me a minute to think

Marinette: I mean, I'd call you, obvs. 

Marinette: I take it calling them out isn't going to make you very popular?

Alya: I mean, they've got a couple of fans, if you catch my drift.

Alya: I'm nervous enough about it to come to you for advice, if that says anything.

Marinette: Ha. Yeah.

Marinette: Well, I don't know, is there a hard time limit on this? 

Alya: Not really, there's a couple of months before it's really relevant.

Marinette: Maybe you could just make a draft then, and see how you feel?

Alya: Good plan. How's this weekend looking? are you down for another session? 

Marinette: Ooh, we've got a big order going out on Friday, but Saturday or Sunday ought to work!

Alya: Good to hear! I'll get in touch with everyone else, see how they feel. <3<3

 

Marinette put the phone down, then picked it up again and checked the time, it was almost 8, her stomach rumbled. Looks like another night of takeout. 

 

* * *

 

Adrien was not a fan of Mondays. Working for Gabriel was... stressful, in the most boring way. Marcel was a controlling CFO and Adrien still wasn't entirely comfortable in the executive role that had been created for him after his father's death. It felt like the right thing to do though, and fashion was something that Adrien knew a lot about, so he did alright with that part of it, but bringing himself to care about the gross market returns on the spring line Tokyo marking campaign was next to impossible.

 

He had some time before his presentation to the board, so he closed the document, in a pinch he could wing it pretty well. He pulled open another document on his browser, and scanned down what he had already written.

 

> "The Life and Times of Pollux Blackvein" 
> 
> Raised by his aunt and uncle, Pollux spent most of his time as a child avoiding responsibilities, finding places to hide. There was little he loved more than to find a rooftop or shaded alcove from which he could people watch in peace. He created rich fictions in his head. This period of happiness could not last long however and tragedy soon struck again when a illness took both his living relatives. With nothing to keep him in the small town that was all he had known, he fled into the woods only days after his 16th birthday. 
> 
>  
> 
> In the woods he found the hut of a old hermit, who took him in and gave him a place to stay as he mourned the life that he had left behind. When he had recovered the hermit began to train him, teaching him how to survive in the wild, how to hide and how to move silently. It was the old man that taught Pollux how to fight, and Pollux took to the quarterstaff quickly, favoring knives second. When the hermit had taught him enough, Pollux left his home for a second time, returning to the village that raised him. 
> 
>  
> 
> When he arrived he found that the village was in a desperate condition. The Magistrate Vitaa Douleur had been installed in the town since he had left and was in gross abuse of her position, levying cruel taxes and enforcing laws that had gone untouched for good reason. The abuse of power made Pollux furious, so he began to formulate a resistance. He started small, disrupting the couriers that Vitaa dispatched to other cities, stealing small shipments of coin and distributing it, subtly, to the people of the town. When this caused her to double down on the oppression of his town, Pollux began to sow the seeds of violent rebellion. The rebellion was, ultimately, successful but it was a Pyrrhic victory. At the end Pollux stood over the body of Vitaa Douleur drenched in the blood of friend and foe alike, the assault on the manse leaving only Pollux standing, after searching the manse for any clue as to who was responsible for her installment in his town he burned down the manse and fled town that night. In that part of the country, stories are still told about the rebellion of Greenthorp, and the mysterious figure that led the people against the tyrannical ruler, but they are stories that Pollux has never heard, having fled to the capitol in search of the mysterious figure that sent the scourge to his people. 
> 
>  
> 
> Since arriving in Erathia, Pollux has fallen in love with its people, and he is already beginning to chaff at the way that the nobility (or at least some of them) take advantage of them. He has made few friends in Erathia, finding the thieves too unscrupulous and the revolutionaries too lax and inactive. He is a radical living in a city of moderates. 
> 
>  

Adrien sat there and let the cursor flash at the end of the document, he felt like there was something missing, maybe he needed more characters? Should he maybe soften Pollux's stance on nobility, since Marinette and Chloe were both playing nobles? He should have sent this to Alya like, two months ago, so maybe he shouldn't worry about it. He really wanted Alya to like it though, so maybe he should. What he needed was another set of eyes.

 

Adrien: Hey, you got a minute?

Max: Not really, but I need a break, what’s up?

Adrien: Not much, I was just hoping I could get you to look over my character background before I sent it to my DM, if you're busy I'll ask someone else.

Max: This is for Alya's campaign?

Adrien: Yeah

Max: Send it here, I need something to pull me away from work anyways.

-

Max: Nice, it looks good, I'd say you could send it to her as is, maybe add a couple of names of people from the town? 

 

* * *

 

Friday night found Alya sitting in the workspace in her apartment, DM guide and monster manual open on the table in front of her, spreadsheet open on her computer. Tomorrow night was going to be epic, they were finally going to get into the meat of the arc that she had prepared. She just needed to find the right encounter to really bring home the scale of what they were supposed to be doing. She flipped the pages of the manual, looking for inspiration. 

 

_ Myconid, Nothic, Ogre, nah.  _

 

Nothing had quite the feel that Alya was looking for. Then an illustration caught her eye. She started typing: 

Horrificator: AC - 8, HP - 72, Speed 15 ft.

 

* * *

 

Nino woke up to the warm sunlight coming in through the window, and to the persistent buzz of his phone. He picked it up and looked at it groggily. "Reminder: Working Bibliography Due @ Noon today."

 

Shit.

 

Nino stumbled out of bed and pulled open his laptop. 10:00, two hours, that was probably enough time to shit together some sources, he could always go back later and decide not to use any of them. That's what he'd done in undergrad, 9 times out of 10. Just as he was opening the library page his phone buzzed on the bed. 

 

Adrien: You still planning on getting lunch today?

Nino: Yeah, I got some stuff to finish up that's due @ noon, but we could go after

Adrien: Sounds good, how're classes going?

Nino: Well, I've heard you talk about how dry your junior capitalist meetings are, and I can assure you that, without a doubt, Professor Putnam is three times dryer

Adrien: Grad school sounds like a blast

Nino: its thrilling, now bug off, I gotta finish this, I'll see you at 12:30?

Adrien: Wouldn't miss it

 

Nino turned off the phone and got to work. 

 

He got a respectable amount done by noon, and sent off the file at 11:59 precisely. He turned his phone back on and a flood of notifications rolled down the screen. 

 

Alya: UUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH...

Alya: Can you believe this guy, and whats worse ca...

Alya: What really bothers me though is the way tha...

Alya: I swear, if I have to hear another relative say b...

Alya: That absolute shitstain of a man is the last thing...

Alya: Did you hear about the new thing with Hawke? he...

 

Apparently it had been an eventful morning.

 

He opened up the first text.

 

Alya: Did you hear about Hawke? he just announce he's running for president 

Alya: That absolute shitstain of a man is the last thing this garbage pile of a country needs.

Alya: What really bothers me is the way that people are taking it seriously, like, this is the man Front National wouldn't endorse.

Alya: I swear, if I have to hear another white guy say 'ooh, he's outside the system' NO SHIT, he's outside the system because the system had the basic decency to kick him the fuck out. 

Alya: Can you believe this guy, and what's worse is I'm going to have to report on this creep for like, a year! 

Alya: UUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 

Gross. 

 

A knock at the door interrupted Nino's reply. He opened the door and Adrien stood there, leaning against the hallway of Nino's apartment building.

 

"So, you ready to get lunch?" 

 

"Just gotta put on some shoes, come in."

 

"Nice place you got here Nino."

 

"Not for long, I'm gonna be apartment hunting again soon."

 

Nino finished tying his shoes and stood up.

 

"Where are we headed?"

 

"Why am I always the one who has to decide on where we eat" Adrien laughed and stepped back into the hallway as Nino locked up the apartment. 

 

"It's because you're the one with the time and money to eat out with any regularity." Nino said, giving Adrien's shoulder a playful punch. 

 

"Fair enough I guess. I was thinking the bourgeoisie pig, since it's pretty close."

 

"The coffee shop? Do they even have food there?" 

 

"I think they have a couple of lunch options, are you hungry?" 

 

"I'm starving, I haven't had anything to eat since lunch yesterday."

 

"Dude, you've got to eat. Fine, how's Heather's sound?"  

 

"Bro. I am always down for Heather's, you know this." 

 

"Right, dumb question gets dumb answer, Lets go."

 

Heather's was only a few metro stops away from Nino's apartment, so it didn't take them too long before they were sitting down in the distressed leather booths that fit right in with Heather's distinct 'american diner' aesthetic. The walls were decorated with old street signs, black and white photos of crowds of people, and other random paraphernalia. Nino looked over the menu, an eclectic mix of American/Korean/Chinese/Indian/French/Japanese dishes, and unlikely fusions of all of the above.

 

"Bro, is there any chance that the vegan ramen burger is good?" Adrien seemed skeptical, but Nino knew better.

 

"Heather's has yet to let me down. That is far from the weirdest sounding thing I've gotten here. You should try their vegan soy sauce ice cream, that's an experience."

 

"I'll take your word for it. You ready for tonight?"

 

"D&D? Heck yes, I've been ready all week. I hope we get to go a bit longer this week though, last week felt kind of short." 

 

"Yeah, but at least we got a bit of action, I was itching for a fight."

 

"Yeah well you don't have a wizard's hit points, so I can see how you might be a bit more eager to fight." 

 

"Please, you're fine, we all passed our tests and now we’re gonna see some real fighting, I wonder what Alya is going to throw at us tonight."

 

"Same, I'm itching for a chance to get to use my new item."

 

* * *

 

Evening came and Adrien and Nino walked up the steps to Alya's apartment, the October chill settling in as the sun sank below the tall parisian buildings. When they hit the buzzer for Alya's apartment there was a long pause before the intercom crackled. 

 

"Yeah?" 

 

"Its us, Adrien and Nino, you wanna let us in?" 

 

The lock clicked and Nino pushed into the foyer, the old building was a bit run down, but not a bad place to live. They took the elevator up to the fifth floor, and waited as Alya undid the locks on both doors to the apartment proper.

 

"Hey guys, ready to play? Marinette just texted, she should be here in a couple minutes. Chloe is on her way too."

 

* * *

 

 

When they were all gathered at the table, Alya got down to business.

 

"You all leveled up last time, so did you all figure out your stuff or do you need to do that now." 

 

With leveling up out of the way, Alya wasted no time launching into the story.

 

"Last time, you remember, you appeared in front of a cave and decided to explore it, finding an old gnome who told you that you had been chosen by the gods to protect Erathia, as you stepped forward to accept this responsibility four fighters appeared to test your abilities, you defeated them, and the Gnome rewarded you with magical items of great power. You then appeared back in Erathia, and that was where we left off."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we're into Act one now, who could Hawke possibly be? It's probably not important ;)


	3. Horrificator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The PCs become heroes, and defenders of Erathia.

Larya woke up with the sound of rushing wind still ringing in her ears, she sat up slowly, feeling the smooth cobblestone beneath her. She opened her eyes and saw the fountain in front of her, smooth limestone carved into animals and vines. Next to her Versoft stirred. All of her... companions (wait, were they companions now?) were there, coming to consciousness around her. 

 

"Well, what was that? I just had the strangest dr- oh." Chloe put her hand to her hair and felt what Larya could see, a golden haircomb decorated with a bee motif. 

 

"I don't think that was a dream, Chloe. I think we went somewhere. I think we came back changed." Larya was mostly processing for her own benefit, but Chloe was too taken back by their circumstances to make a cutting remark. 

 

"We are the defenders now," Pollux said, giving serious looks at Chloe and Larya, "for better or worse." 

 

"Defending her from what though?" Versoft stood, dusting off his robes, then muttering a charm and vanishing the dust.

 

"And defending how? I don't know about you, but I still don't have any idea what this does." Pollux fiddled with the ring around his finger. 

 

"We should figure out the second one fast, cause I think the first question just answered itself." Larya pointed past the fountain where a column of black smoke, too dense and too wide to be a chimney was rising above the rooftops.

 

* * *

 

 

"As Larya points this out each of you hears a voice in your heads, and words come unbidden to your lips. Do you want to go ahead and share the command words that you came up with for your items?" Alya smiles from behind her DM screen, excited.

 

"Larya says, 'Spots On'" Marinette seems eager to go first this time. 

 

"As you speak the words you can feel a tingle as a reddish pink electricity starts to spread up your body beginning at your feet and traveling upwards, leaving a red with black polka-dot set of leather armor behind, and at your hip you can feel a length of chord that looks long and deadly.”

 

“Excellent, I’d like to take off running towards the smoke” 

 

* * *

 

Pollux was the next to speak his word, “Claws Out” and a similar electricity traveled up his body, acid green instead of cherry blossom pink, but undeniably similar. When it reached the end of his hair he looked down at himself and saw a tight black catsuit, and a wicked looking metal quarterstaff. He ran after the Ladybug Cleric, using the quarterstaff to vault up to the roofs, trying to get a better look at what they might be up against. He was soon joined by Chloe in a set of yellow and black leather armor and Versoft in a long deep blue cloak. The halfling Versoft trailed behind at first, his short legs moving slower than the taller heroes until he muttered something under his breath and began to gain on them again, short legs a blur. 

 

It wasn’t long before Larya stopped running, and Pollux nearly slammed into her from behind, but he caught himself, and, looking up from the rooftops, he could see why she’d stopped. The cause of the billowing smoke was before them now, a gargantuan slime,

 

* * *

 

 

“It’s pink and blue body is like something out of a nightmare, you can see it has left a trail of broken and half-dissolved building behind it, one of which must have had an oven or forge, because there is a fire spreading through the buildings along its impromptu boulevard”

 

“Ok, wait, when you say gargantuan, do you mean literally? Isn’t that like, forty feet tall or something.” Chloe’s voice is incredulous.

 

“Did I stutter? The massive slime towers above your rooftop now, reaching almost five stories into the sky. I need you to roll initiative.”

 

“You’re trying to kill us, you’re actually trying to kill us.” Chloe’s panic put a devious grin on Alya’s face, she rubbed her hands together gleefully,

 

“Be that or no, I’m still gonna need an initiative roll.”

 

* * *

 

 

Versoft burst into the city square at a full sprint and immediately peeled off to the side shooting out his hands and sending a blinding speck of light rocketing across the square towards the massive slime. It connected solidly in one of the pod-like protuberances that hung off the hulking slime like a nightmare cross between a zit and a goiter. It burst like a overripe fruit and slime sprayed across the courtyard, coating the buildings with a sticky and quickly hardening layer of goo.

 

"Nice work little boy blue," he heard Chloe yell in a way that was simultaneous encouraging and a little demeaning.

 

"Th-thanks" he sputtered, trying his best to wipe his robes clean before the goo hardened, then remembering that he had prestidigitation for that, he let his hands drop. 

 

Next up was Larya, who was still standing at the edge of the rooftop. She pulled out the whip and jumped down from the roof, landing lightly on her feet and rushing towards the slime, she send the whip snapping towards the amorphous body of the horrific beast. It connected but seemed to do little in comparison to the massive lightning blast that Versoft had sent towards it, taking only a small slice of oozing 'flesh' off of the massive, but now much smaller by comparison, beast. 

 

The topheavy portion of the beast began to slide backwards, towards where the small wizard was wiping his robes, it let out a horrific yell, filling the air with an almost aerosolized mist of slime particles.

 

* * *

 

 

"I need you all to make a wisdom saving throw against fear" Alya said, rolling dice behind her screen. "What did you all get? Anyone below 15?"

 

"I got a 12?" Nino seemed to shrink back into his seat,

 

"I got a 15 exactly, what's that mean" Chloe said, genuinely unsure. 

 

"You met the DC, you're good, Nino though, Versoft is frightened now.

 

* * *

 

 

As Versoft recoils from the beast it advances on him, seeming to swell again, and from the rubble behind him  there comes a sharp cry that seems to urge the beast on, growing it back almost to the size it was before the blast. 

 

Versoft trips backwards as a glob of goo speeds towards him, and he is suddenly trapped, stuck to the ground in front of the ruined building, arms pinned to his side, useless. 

 

The slime shoots another glob towards Larya but she ducks under it and it splashes harmlessly off of the wall behind her. 

 

Pollux jumps down off the roof after Larya, keeping low and getting in close to bash it with his strange metal quarterstaff, dealing a respectable blow to its oozing back (so far as it had a discernible back).

 

And finally Chloe recovered from the shock of the enormous neon ooze in front of her and began to jump into the action, taking her wand and pointing it towards the terror in front of her, 

 

"Damn Ooze, you should never have come to this place, and you will soon find that this place is special, defended and that you never should have dared destroy MY HOME." and a the ooze seemed to pale, the bright blues and yellows saturating and graying.  

 

"Versoft, brave wizard, I believe in you." A piece of genuine feeling moved between her and the trapped wizard, as she willed him to do what he could to escape. 

 

And try to escape he did, flexing bravely against his prison of hardened ooze. It was a close thing, as every muscle in his body was tensed, straining against his restraint, but he did break free, the blue and purple crust shattering into a hundred pieces and falling to the ground. 

 

Free of restraint Versoft launched himself to the side, drawing the creature's attention away from the screams from inside the building. 

 

Shooting out his arms again, Versoft emptied himself of the last bit of magic that he had been holding back. A bolt of crackling blue flame lept from his fingertips and went streaking towards the ooze. He focused hard and prayed that it would be enough.  The bolt found a purchase in the melting flesh of the terrible being, and slime sloughed off the creature in a great wave of putrifaction. 

 

With that, Versoft's last remaining nerve gave, and he fled back into the building, trying to make as much distance between himself and the beast as he could. Scrambling over blocks of half-dissolved masonry and partially destroyed timbers he entered the building and came upon four very scared civilians. 

 

Larya was the next to act, she stepped back, the Whip's time was done. It was time to let Avandra guide her cleric to victory.

 

* * *

  

"I would like to cast guiding bolt, and I would like to make the bolt the same red electric energy that is starting to become a motif for my character." 

 

"Ok sure, roll to hit," 

 

"Twenty, non-natural, that hits so that's 4d6 radiant which is," 

 

the sound of so many dice hitting the table at once was undeniably satisfying to Marinette, and she took her time in totalling up the damage that she was about to rain down upon this thing.

 

"15 points of radiant damage."

 

* * *

  

The slime gave a roar of primal rage as it shrunk down even farther, a red glow remaining in the center of it. The roar turned into another intimidation attempt, as the slime spores spread across the battlefield, trying to leach what life it could out of the fear of the people around it. This time though the sweet nectar of fear was nowhere to be found now, it's diminished size and imminent defeat was too much, the roar and the terror was too weak, these people were defended now, and they would not break so easily. 

 

* * *

 

 

From far away a face observed this scene. Watching with violet eyes as the first of their plans are set back, they are impassive, uncaring. Cruel.

 

* * *

  

The battle has turned now, the horror no larger than any of the heroes, and Pollux presses the advantage, moving in close with his quarterstaff and giving the beast a mighty whack, He pulled back to deliver a finishing blow to this creature, and, to his shock, found his staff stuck, mired in hardened goo. Immovable. 

 

Shit. 

 

"Chloe, finish this!" 

 

She stepped up towards the slime and began a soft, eerie chant, the words coming from somewhere within her that had been undiscovered until that moment. The creature reacted though, streaming away from the sound of her voice, dispersing until there was nothing left. Nothing, except.

 

"Oh my gods, is that a person?" 

 

* * *

 

 

"You can see where the slime has streaked away from the form of what seems to be a young halfling girl, her hair is still slick from the strange, living goo that had been surrounding her form, and she is unmoving, but as you watch you see her take in a sharp breath and then settle into a regular rhythm. You have other things to worry about though, the fire that had been burning along the path of destruction that the slime had left is still burning and the wind is starting to blow, which is a dangerous combination."

 

“Shit, ok, I turn to the other three and I say ‘You three take care of the fire, I’m going to do what I can for her.’ and I want to send up a quick prayer to Avandra, and I want to ask her to put luck on our side and just have the wind calm down.” 

 

* * *

 

 

Larya’s order came in such a way that Versoft couldn’t help but jump to it, he turned to the group huddled behind him in the building,

 

“You’re safe now, but you won’t be for much longer if we don’t get this fire under control. Do any of you think you can carry a bucket? We need to get a line started.” 

 

They looked scared and tired, but the smallest, a girl no older than 14 looked at the halfling and nodded, pushing herself up off the rubble, standing almost at his height.

 

“Thank you for protecting us, we’ll do our best to protect our town.” 

 

Pollux ran up to them and began to lead the way towards the river, using his staff to clear a way to the river, dodging the cinders that flew up from collapsing roof beams. Soon the sound of running feet could be heard from all across the city as the cry of fire spread. As Versoft moved his hands and muttered incantations, walking slowly forward into the flames willing them down and out, and as Pollux ran into building after burning building, pulling whoever he could find from the flames, Chloe stood numb, her magic useless, able only to join in the bucket brigade, one piece of a greater whole, an entirely uncomfortable place for the young noble, so used to being special.

 

* * *

 

 

“Back to you Larya, as you send up your prayer something new happens. You’re used to getting vague replies, if you get any reply at all, but the voice you hear now is as solid and real as anything. ‘Very well my servant, as you ask, so shall it be answered.’ And you feel the wind die down. You can feel someone behind you, watching you.”

 

“I would like to turn around, and see if I can see who’s watching me.”

 

“It’s pretty obvious, you can see standing about ten feet behind you a bright red tiefling with a single black horn curving out from the center of her forehead.”

 

“Larya will say, sort of hesitantly ‘m- my lady?’ and then just drop to a knee”

 

“The tiefling laughs, ‘not quite, I am but an avatar of the same, an agent of her will in this plane, not unlike you. You may call me Tikki.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait on this chapter, things got a bit hectic at the end of the school year, and the transition into working a full time job, but I'm excited with where this story is heading, and I hope to get quite a bit of writing done over the summer.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired in part by Satisfaction Brought it Back, and in part by the fact that my group hasn't met in about a month. 
> 
> Next chapter will have some time in between sessions, catching up between Marinette and Adrien, some Alya planning, and maybe these people actually have jobs?


End file.
